Slider for concealed zip fasteners

ABSTRACT

A slider for concealed zip fasteners is disclosed which has a base having an aperture for receiving a pin or the like. There is provided no pull tab which would usually be attached to a guide post according to the prior art. Instead, any pin-like object can be inserted in the aperture in the base to pull the slider. The guide post is exceptionally small and does not project above the slider body.

United States Patent [191 Yoshida Dec. 17, 1974 SLIDER FOR CONCEALED ZIP FASTENERS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Yosliida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha,

Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 294,437

Kyumatsu Yoshida, Uosu, Japan 52 us. c1. ..24 205.1 R, 24/20515 R. 24/20515 H 511 1111.01 A44b 19/26 581 Field ofSearch ..24/205.1 c, 205.1 R, 24/205.15 H. 205.15 R. 201 C, 205.12

156 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,032,858 3/1936 Schaper. 24/2051 3,0l L238 12/1961 McNamara 24/205.l 3,5l6.l27 6/1970 Howell 24/205.l

3.516.409 0/1970 Howell 24/2051 3.568.901 3/1971 NcNitt 24/205.15 H

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 495,227 11/1938 Great Britain 24/2051 Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph E. Bucknam 5 7 ABSTRACT A slider for concealed zip fasteners is disclosed which has a base having an aperture for receiving a pin or the like. There is provided no pull tab which would usually be attached to a guide post according to the prior art. Instead, any pin-like object can be inserted in the aperture in the base to pull the slider. The guide post is exceptionally small and does not project above the slider body.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEL SEC] 7 I974 FIG.1

FIG. 2

FIG.4

1 SLIDER FOR CONCEALED ZIP FASTENERS This invention relates to improvements in and relating to sliders for zip fasteners, particularly to sliders for use with a concealed type of fastener.

While zip fasteners in general find wide application as a means of effecting a closure in a variety of articles including bags, sporting goods, clothes, etc., the present invention considers the utility of zip fasteners particularly where they are applied to bedclothes, underwears and the like in a manner to come into direct contact with the body of the wearer.

Conventional zip fasteners have suffered from the disadvantage that when applied to bedclothes or similar articles, the fastener elements and their associated slider show up on the surface of the article and give unpleasant feel and touch to the skin of the wearer. To overcome this disadvantage and to achieve aesthetic attractiveness, there have been introduced some advanced zip fasteners which are designed to conceal their fastening elements from external view in closed disposition. However, such fasteners commonly called concealed fasteners are not entirely satisfactory because they are not capable of concealing the slider and more critically because itspull tab mounted on the guide post and projectingabove the slider body is apt to catch and harm the skin of the wearer or damage the fabric of the article when laundered.

Whereas, it is the primary object of thisinvention to provide improved sliders for concealed zip fasteners which will eliminate the above-noted disadvantages of the prior art.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slider constructed in accordance with the invention; i I

FIG. 2 is a partly cut-away side elevation of the slider of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view utilized to explain the function-of the slider as applied to a blanket cover;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the slider of FIG. 1; v I

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another modification; and

FIG. 6 is a partly cut-away side elevation of a modification of the guide post part of the slider of FIG. 5.

According to the invention there is provided a slider for concealed zip fasteners which comprises a base, a pair of side flanges extending from opposite longitudinal edges of said base and having upright side walls and horizontal top walls integral therewith and lying substantially parallel with the plane of said base, and a guide post situated centrally between said side flanges and extending upright to a point substantially flush with the top walls of said flanges, said guide post defining with said flanges a Y-shaped guide channel for passing a zip fastener, said base having an aperture for receiving a pin-like object with which to move the slider.

Referring now to the drawings'and FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown a slider 10 which is designed for use with a concealed type zip fastener F (FIG. 3). More specifically. the slider 10 is mounted on the fastener and is movable longitudinally therealong back and forth to close andopen the same. Theslider 10 comprises a base 11, a pair of side flange members 12 extending from opposite longitudinal edges of the base 11 and a guide post 13 situated centrally between the opposed flanges 12 and having its forward end 130 terminating at a point substantially flush with the forward ends 12a of the flange members 12. Each flange has an upright side wall 14 and a horizontal top wall 15 integral therewith and lying substantially parallel with the plane of the base 11. The opposed flanges 12 define with the guide post 13 a Y-shaped guide channel 16 which converges towards an entrance 17 for the fas' tener at one end of the slider 10. The guide post 13 is about equal in height to the flanges 12 with its top surface 13 substantially flush with the surface of the top wall 15 as better seen in FIG. 2. There is provided an oblong aperture 18 formed in and extending transversely of the base 11 adjacent to the other end of the slider 10; i.e., forwardly of the guide post 13, as shown.

The inventive concept of the invention is directed to the provision of a means which will obviate the necessity of permanently affixing the pull tab to the slider, more specifically to the guide post as is the case with a concealed fastener.-

Advantageously, the aperture 18 in the base 11 lies in an opening separating between the two stringer tapes of the fastener F as shown in FIG. 3 and can readily serve to receive a pin-like object 20 only when the slider 10 is to be operated. The pin 20 can be any suitable expedient which may be readily available near at hand. It is simply placed in the aperture 18 as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 and manipulated to move the slider 10 to close or open the fastener in a manner similar to the conventional pull tab. With the fastener F fully closed, the pin 20 is removed from the aperture 18 so that the slider 10 is completely hidden underneath the fastener which underlies or overlies a garment fabric or blanket cover 21 shown in FIG. 3.

The oblong aperture 18 may be oriented to extend longitudinally of the base 11 as shown in FIG. 4.

Alternatively, the aperture 18 may be formed in a sloped portion 13" extending from the guide post 13 and serving to reinforce the base 11 as shown in FIG. 5. In which instance, the aperture 18 may run clear through the base 11 as shown in FIG. 5, or may terminate short of the bottom of the base 11 as shown in FIG. 6, whichever is more convenient.

Having thus described the invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the specific form and construction described and illustrated, but such changes and modifications should not depart from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l; A slider for concealed zip fasteners which comprises a base, a pair of side flanges extending from opposite longitudinal edges of said base and having upright sidewalls and horizontal top walls integral therewith and lying substantially parallel with the plane of said base, and a guide post situated centrally between said side flanges and extending upright to a point substantially flush with the top walls of said flanges, said guide post defining with said flanges a Y-shaped guide channel for passing a zip fastener, said base having an aperture forrned forwardly of said guide post for receiving in laterally surrounding relation a pin-like object with which to move the slider in any selected one of oblong.

4. The slider of claim 1 wherein said guide post has its forward end terminating at a point substantially flush with the forward ends of said side flanges. 

1. A slider for concealed zip fasteners which comprises a base, a pair of side flanges extending from opposite longitudinal edges of said base and having upright sidewalls and horizontal top walls integral therewith and lying substantially parallel with the plane of said base, and a guide post situated centrally between said side flanges and extending upright to a point substantially flush with the top walls of said flanges, said guide post defining with said flanges a Y-shaped guide channel for passing a zip fastener, said base having an aperture formed forwardly of said guide post for receiving in laterally surrounding relation a pin-like object with which to move the slider in any selected one of two opposite directions, said pinlike object being normally removed when not moving the slider.
 2. The slider of claim 1 wherein said aperture is formed through said base.
 3. The slider of claim 1 wherein said aperture is oblong.
 4. The slider of claim 1 wherein said guide post has its forward end terminating at a point substantially flush with the forward ends of said side flanges. 